The speculation about the Android phone from BlackBerry has been rife and now that BlackBerry has finally confirmed the handset interest has been renewed. BlackBerry fans that fancy trying out the manufacturers first Android smartphone can register interest for the BlackBerry Priv on their website.

BlackBerry Priv Design

Initially leaked as the BlackBerry Venice, the BlackBerry Priv features a slider design which harks back to classic handset days.

The keypad slides behind the large 5.4-inch QHD display to make the handset compact when put into a bag or pocket. The chassis has curved sides and slim dimensions and the large speaker sits at the base of the phone.

BlackBerry Priv Specifications

The BlackBerry Priv will be packing a hexacore processor and 3GB RAM to offer up a decent multitasking performance and there will be a 32GB on board memory with a microSD card slot for bolstering it should you need more space.

The 18-megapixel camera on the back delivers impressive picture quality with various shooting modes and an LED flash and it is 4K video ready so you can record great detailed video clips and embrace the quality on your home 4K TV.

The front facing camera has a resolution of 5-megapixels so selfies are good quality and the Android OS opens up a world of apps to customise the phone in numerous ways.

Overall the BlackBerry Priv rounds out to be a decent smartphone and with both a physical and touch keypad with the slider design this is a phone for anyone that wants Android with a difference.

Could this be the phone to put BlackBerry back into the big leagues of the smartphone world? Many fans of the brand have received this latest phone with positive comments and interest in buying it but only the sales figures will tell the true story.

What do you think of the BlackBerry Priv? Would you buy it? Do you think BlackBerry is right to move over to Android devices or did their own OS give them a unique selling point? Share your thoughts below or join the conversation on Google+.